1. It’s Monday, August 29, 2016. The election is 71 days away.

2. When I was a working journalist – we’re now talking two years ago – this week was considered similar to the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

It was the week most in demand for vacations, especially among colleagues with school-age kids. It was either the week to get ready for the new school year or, for the older parents, the week to send the kids off to college.

Those without kids took the week off because they could extend their time – Labor Day is a week from today, and that’s a holiday for just about everyone.

The news flow usually helped. Other people had the same family issues. So, the President – whoever he was – usually spent the week wherever he usually vacationed. Wall Street endured its quietest week of the year so far. Companies didn’t realize news. Congress was in recess.

So it was quiet.

3. Not sure if that’ll be the case in 2016.

On the plus side, for the first election year since 2004, there’s no political convention this week. Someone finally wised up to the idea that maybe there aren’t enough people paying attention this week.

On the minus side is this particular election year.

You got the guy, Trump, who seems determined to capture the news cycle no matter what. I wouldn’t put it past him to moon somebody in order to grab a headline, under the  premise that there’s no bad publicity if they spell your name right.

This weekend was a prime example. The tweet attempting to use the murder of basketball star Dwyane Wade’s cousin as a lure for African-American voters seemed almost as if someone hacked his account. It was tone deaf to the point of near sabotage.

I would think the idea that nothing like that will happen this week – heck, will happen later today – is, as they say in gambling, off the board. No one would bet against it.

Then you got the gal, Secretary Clinton. She’s going to do her damnedest to make this a no-news week. But, until she does something to put all her e-mail questions to bed once and for all, there’s always the chance that another headline that detracts her from the campaign message will grab the spotlight.

For my sake, for your sake, for the sake of my friends who are working in newsrooms while their colleagues enjoy their vacations, I hope it’s a quiet week.